Could a 'Home Doctor' help us crack a problem like fuel poverty?

As outlined in our last post - we are revealing the results of our 12 week focus on Fuel Poverty.

Eagle eyed readers will have spotted that recently we've been talking more about affordable warmth than fuel poverty. That's deliberate - as part of our findings were that people can become too caught up in whether someone is technically in fuel poverty. And thinking from the point of view of the customer - they don't care!

Keeping our homes warm and understanding how they work is an issue for all of us - regardless of income levels.

When rolling out something from the Lab we try to attach it to a big concept that everyone has expressed enthusiasm for.

The one that intrigued people was this:

What if you had access to a Home Doctor.

A visit - in person or virtually - to diagnose whether you and your home were working together to an optimal level?

Could this person (or digital assistant) do three things:

1 - Assess whether the home is up to standard for the person's specific needs

2 - Be empowered to make changes to the home , or educate the customer on how to run it better

3 - Provide help and support if a person simply didn't have enough money to live

We've spotted four interconnected themes we could weave a "Home Doctor" service around:

Starting Well Engineer - currently in Lab Test mode

Multi Skilled Coach - a previous Lab Test that we are currently evaluating for a phased implementation

Money Advisors - a service currently being rolled out

Smart Home - a series of tests about to enter the Lab pipeline

This is a concept that excites us - as it actually goes far beyond the brief of fuel poverty.

In the not too distant future our homes and bodies will share information between one another seamlessly.

Could it be possible for us to design and test something - including both human and digital elements - that reframes the problem of fuel poverty as an opportunity?